


Lumoz

by dentigerous



Series: February Ficlet Challenge 2018 [3]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Credence Barebone Learning Magic, Gen, M/M, Percival Graves gets an apprentice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-23 16:00:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13791141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dentigerous/pseuds/dentigerous
Summary: During a lesson, Graves gets trapped in the dark by Credence's Obscurus.





	Lumoz

Graves was not a man used to having another person in his space. His new apprentice however, required some degree of attention that was unfamiliar. The boy had a penchant for appearing out of nowhere, sliding out of shadows and doorways as if he’d been built from the shapes themselves.

It wasn’t as if Graves was ignorant of the power the boy had, the roiling mass that lay underneath the surface of Credence’s skin, but it was always surprising to look up and see the young man standing not five feet away. His head would be tilted, hands pressed together, mumbling as soon as Graves looked up.

At least the newfound wizard had a wand now, his own desk, his own space to practice and dream, and Graves could distract him with a spellbook or magical tool and give himself a few more minutes peace.

Tonight Credence would not be so easily dismissed, asking for a more experiential lesson.

Graves nodded, and without any kind of pretense, he waved his wand and pushed the furniture against the walls, the rug even rolling up and tucking itself neatly into a corner.

“Alright then, my boy,” Graves murmured, rolling up his sleeves, wand in hand. He cast a basic deflection spell, connecting his magic to it. “Attack me.”

Almost as soon as he said the words he regretted them. Credence was a force, even to a mage like Percival Graves, and the kind of power that the young man unleashed was incredible.

Credence stepped forward, without using his wand, and turned into a dark mass. He was something human and inhuman, a strange writhing boy. The wall would be bolstered by Graves’ own magic, and might not hold up against whatever kind of magic Credence would throw at him.

“Credence-”

He was darkness and smoke, but it was so much more controlled than he had been nearly six months ago when he was tearing up the streets of New York City. Graves felt a surge of pride and awe, that Credence had mastered so much of himself, and was still so powerful. He took a deep breath and nodded, smiling a little, bracing himself for the attack.

“Try not to wreck my apartments.”

The Credence-Creature made itself into the form of a man again, shoulders tensing up, head tilting. Graves gestured again, nodding. “Come on then.”

Nothing.

Graves frowned, lowering his wand slowly.

The young man didn’t move, but condensed further into a dark mass, a black boiling boy-creature, taller and somehow more consequential than he was when he appeared more human.

“You’re not going to hurt me.”

Credence flinched. There was something remarkable about a being so powerful shying away from even hints of terror. Graves wondered where this had come from; hadn’t Credence asked to learn more? Hadn’t he let go of the dark hidden inside him?

Taking a deep breath, Graves dropped his defences and tucked his wand into his shoulder holster. He approached Credence with his hands up.

He got close enough to touch him, reaching out to press his hand against the man’s shoulder. It sank through for a short depth and then the surface became hard and cold, like a stone with melting ice across it. Graves nodded, grasped his shoulder tighter and Credence seemed to turn without moving his feet, sliding and then expanding to encircle Graves.

Graves closed his eyes, didn’t move, and when he decided that he better look at Credence, he opened his eyes and couldn’t see anything at all. He set his jaw, annoyed, and looked around his sitting room, but it was all black as pitch, and seemed impenetrable.

“ _Lumoz,_ ” he gestured with his hand, and the faintest light emanated from his fingertips, gray and weak, before it was snuffed out by the dark.

He took a step forward, his hand out, and then took another. He should have run into the bookshelves, but there was nothing. Perhaps he had gotten turned around. He murmured the spell again, but there was nothing ahead.

“Credence?”

The air around his shivered. It rippled, grazing over his skin softly, as if someone were pulling silk sheets over his skin.

“You’re doing this then?” He glanced around, nodding. “It’s impressive. I don’t think it’ll get you any technical points, but quite original.”

Nothing. Graves worked his jaw, getting annoyed. “I’d appreciate going back to my home.”

Sand seemed to fall all around him, directly onto his skin, bypassing hair and clothing. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and walked a bit further. He had to admire the sheer imposibility of the magic, the kind of breadth of power this void came from.

“Whenever you’re ready.”

Nothing this time.

Graves walked for a bit, then sat, and finally, fell asleep. It had been hours and he had been trapped in this strange responsive darkness that seemed endless.

He woke up and there was Credence crouched over him, sitting perched on a chair like some kind of housecat. Graves startled, sitting up on the chaise. He didn’t ask how he had been returned, but he was grateful for the small comfort of knowing that his bookshelf was precisely twelve paces away from him, and the whole room was alight in a soft yellow glow.

“What time is it?”

“One,” Credence murmured, shifting to slide his feet to the ground. Graves nodded, pushing hair back and taking a deep breath.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” Graves dismissed him as he stood up slowly. His whole body ached, pinpricks in his hands and feet. He took a deep breath again, steadying himself before looking back up at Credence. “Do you know what you did?”

Credence shrugged, looking down, He ran his hands over his new clothing, palms rubbing his knees. “I broke down the walls.”

Graves blinked, took another deep breath, and then nodded.

“You did that.”

Credence flinched, and there was something blurry about his outline, “Sorry.”

“No, no.” Graves stepped forward, lifting his apprentice from the chair, turning him towards the stairs. “You controlled yourself. It was a clever magic. Unorthodox, but I’ve come to expect that.”

He paused, and Credence shrugged once.

“We’ll try again tomorrow,” Graves said, his hand tight on Credence’s shoulder.

Credence allowed Graves to lead him up the stairs, but didn’t move as the Director said goodnight and turned towards his own rooms. To his credit, Graves didn’t look back, showing more steel than he would usually after being trapped in a darkness of another’s design.

Graves got ready for sleep, hung up his robe on a chair next to his mattress, and lay down. He didn’t fall asleep easy, and as he finally started to drift off, he thought he saw the shadows move under his door, and some gray light perched at the foot of his bed.

**Author's Note:**

> Another quick fic for the February ficlet challenge! (Set in the same universe as [A Late Education](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8769412/chapters/20111815))


End file.
